Stopping the cheats in public procurement

Every year, local and central government spend billions of pounds procuring goods and services on behalf of UK residents – but are they paying more than they should?

Healthy competition between businesses means lower prices, more choice and better quality for those purchasing goods and services. Nowhere is competition more vital than for procurement professionals trying to get value for taxpayers’ money. Businesses that collude to drive up the price of public contracts are breaking the law, so it’s crucial that buyers know how to spot anti-competitive activity and what they can do to protect themselves (and the public purse) from falling victim to it.

This free event is aimed primarily at those working in local authorities and central government who are responsible for high-value public procurement and commissioning (such as the construction of new public buildings and large scale service contracts). At a time when resources and budgets are strained, purchasers need to know that they’re getting the best value for money. 

The Competition and Markets Authority invites you to this half-day event, designed to help those on the front line of procurement spot and stop anti-competitive activity from occurring. The event will help attendees to:

Identify what anti-competitive activitiy look like and what impact it has on public contracts
Know what to do when they spot it and how to help the CMA take action
Share experiences and insights on how cheats can be spotted and stopped

Places are limited so please register your interest to attend ASAP.
Complimentary tea, coffee and lunch will be provided on the day. A certificate of attendance is available for CPD purposes and this can be sent to attendees following the event.
Presentations on the day will be delivered by senior members from the CMA with wide-ranging experience of competition law and how it applies to public procurement. They will share practical advice from cases and answer your questions.
 
Agenda  
09.00 – 09.30      Arrival, refreshments and registration
Introduction: Competition and why it matters for procurers
Collusion between suppliers when competing for public contracts

How cartels can affect the bidding and supplying processes
Spotlight on bid-rigging and case studies
Other types of anti-competitive behaviour to be aware of
CMA tools and materials to help you find out more

Spotting collusion: What to look out for

Interactive session, including examples from previous cases and indicators of suspicious bidding patterns

What to do when you spot anything suspicious

Reporting matters to the CMA
How we handle information received
How our pipeline works and how we prioritise cases

Looking ahead: Combatting fraud in public procurement

New tools to combat procurement fraud: data mining & analysis
The CMA's role - how we can help each other

13.30  LUNCH and EVENT END
      
A light lunch will be available after the event, during which attendees will have an opportunity to meet senior CMA staff and discuss any issues or concerns further.